Since being hired in March of 2025, Texas men’s basketball head coach Sean Miller has made one thing clear through his statements and actions: he wants to create a long-term winning culture, instead of a couple magical seasons.
He’s already making progress on that goal with the 2027-2028 season.
With the 2027 recruiting class beginning their visits and freshman forward Marcus Spears Jr. having reclassified to play his first season a year early, the Longhorns have planned four notable visits over the next month. One of those will be NaVorro Bowman Jr., son of former linebacker NaVorro Bowman and five-star recruit from California, on Sept. 19.
The potential of landing another big recruit ties directly back to the statement Miller made when he officially became the head coach of the Longhorns.
“Think about the state of Texas and the great programs,” Miller said. “That better make you energized because there is great competition and there are high expectations.”
Bowman Jr. is the No. 1 player in California and the No. 11 overall prospect in the 2027 class, according to 247Sports’ rankings. Although he has received a plethora of offers from D1 schools, there are only four schools scheduled for an official visit with him — UConn, Arizona, Illinois and Texas.
He recently anchored the USA Men’s U17 National Team to a gold medal in July at the FIBA U17 World Cup in Istanbul. The standout guard averaged 11.9 points and 3.6 assists on the international stage. Back home, the explosive playmaker is a star for Notre Dame High School, averaging 22.5 points per game last season.
At 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, Bowman Jr. is already taller than his father, who played eight years in the NFL, where he earned all-pro honors four times and started for the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII.
Bowman Jr. will likely be a one-and-done candidate to the NBA depending on how his first collegiate season goes, but for right now, he’s just enjoying the recruiting experience and taking his time to find the best fit.
“It’s been amazing, a lot of schools have been texting me,” Bowman Jr. said. “I just feel like wherever the best fit is for me, no matter where it is, … (I just want) a staff that’s willing to prepare me, a winning team as well. I really want to have that opportunity to compete in March Madness.”
It’s safe to say that the Longhorns agree with Bowman’s list of wants and are working their way towards it. Along with his visit, Texas has officially lined up two more in the next month: four-star guard Justin Wise will visit on Sept. 5, and five-star guard Beckham Black will visit on Sept. 9. The team will also have a visit with five-star center Darius Wabbington on Nov. 6.
Miller and his staff are proving their commitment to making Texas a juggernaut in the men’s college basketball world once again. If this season’s higher expectations are met, which come after a surprising tournament run, the team will reach national championship contender status as early as that 2027 season.